The Perth Thread

[Teriyakicat]

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wes...ing-construction/story-fnhocxo3-1227366677586

Thoughts?

"People were earning $130,000 a year and being provided with a company house and suddenly you don’t have a job or a house anymore. People end up living on friends’ couches, in their cars and even on the streets."

Errr, what? $130k p.a. with free housing and you end up on the streets?

"Often it’s due to poor financial literacy.”
Says it all, really, doesn't it?
Have been there myself- never been made redundant but have worked in the mining industry and was told fairly early that, if I wasn't made redundant at least half a dozen times in my career, I'd be extremely lucky.

I was luckier- I left and had kids and my hubby has never been out of a job in the industry.

I don't have a lot of sympathy for those who have blown their earnings. Many of them who are FIFO get used to just flying all over the place- some fly to Bali at the end of every stint in the mines, others fly back to NZ (though some are even flown in from NZ at the companies' expense).

It IS a cyclical industry, the Universities pump out geos and engineers to try and keep up with the demand but, when there's a downturn, they're still pumping out hundreds of new graduates who have nowhere to go...

The best advice I would give anyone in that industry is that, if they're earning $100,000, live as if they're earning $75,000 or even $50,000 and always put some away for a rainy day. Invest in your own home. Don't blow it in booze and smokes and fast cars.

My hubby said this morning that there are only about 5 houses available in Meekatharra at the moment, to buy- worth $300,000.....

Meekatharra!!

IIRC, 20 years ago in Kalgoorlie, 3 bedroom homes were renting for $400-$600 p.w.

 

[Shupe]

Invest in your own home. Don't blow it in booze and smokes and fast cars.

Boringgggg

Who invited the fun police?

 

[Teriyakicat]

Boringgggg

Who invited the fun police?

Well, I guess if you want to buy a fast car, make sure it's comfy for when you need to sleep in it
Is that advice better?

 

[Borry]

Just don't spend beyond your means, you will be a lot less stressed with negligible debt if you are made redundant.

Having said that I'm far from perfect when it comes to debt.


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[Scotland]

Harsh realty but there are a lot of people employed on sites who are only employed because they were happy to work on site.

 

[Scotland]

Just don't spend beyond your means, you will be a lot less stressed with negligible debt if you are made redundant.

This advice should apply to everyone.

 

[Off The Couch]

From one extreme to another

http://m.perthnow.com.au/news/weste...ear-old-daughter/story-fnhocxo3-1227366649136


Good luck to people who have worked hard to get to a point in their lives where money is no problem but extreme displays of wealth repulse me

 

[Teriyakicat]

From one extreme to another

http://m.perthnow.com.au/news/weste...ear-old-daughter/story-fnhocxo3-1227366649136


Good luck to people who have worked hard to get to a point in their lives where money is no problem but extreme displays of wealth repulse me

That's obscene!

 

[gaskin]

I can't believe they spent $1600 to hire Courtney Murphy. I had forgotten that idiot's name until I just read it.

 

[Underdog]

I can't believe they spent $1600 to hire Courtney Murphy. I had forgotten that idiot's name until I just read it.

Why is he an idiot?

My sister in law hired an ex X-Factor finalist for her engagement party (not nearly as expensive though) and he was sensational. I wouldn't hesitate hiring him if I had a suitable function.

 

[Borry]

I despise idol and most of the contestants on it however he is an exception. I have respect for him, he's hardly an idiot. He performed with his band at a local Australia Day sky show and it was very good. He's been around the local pub music scene well before his idol stint.

Was happy to continue with his band stuff like before after idol, probably used the show just to get publicity. Power to him.


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[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

IIRC, 20 years ago in Kalgoorlie, 3 bedroom homes were renting for $400-$600 p.w.

Mate was saying Kalgoorlie is slowly dying not as busy as it was 10 years ago.

Shops closing down on Hannan street

 

[Teriyakicat]

Mate was saying Kalgoorlie is slowly dying not as busy as it was 10 years ago.

Shops closing down on Hannan street

FIFO is killing all the mining towns. Kalgoorlie will take a bit longer to die than a lot of others, though, because of its size.

I'm hoping to go back next month, for the first time in 20 years. Am really looking forward to it. All the places I worked will be just huge holes in the ground, I expect. Guess I could prepare myself by looking at the satellite pics on Google Earth.

 

[Borry]

They should turn the place into a Vegas. The mining is not going to last good forever.


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[Borry]

From one extreme to another

http://m.perthnow.com.au/news/weste...ear-old-daughter/story-fnhocxo3-1227366649136


Good luck to people who have worked hard to get to a point in their lives where money is no problem but extreme displays of wealth repulse me

At the risk of coming across as racist Asians and Southern Europeans with high level wealth love using it to spoil their children rotten.



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[Teriyakicat]

They should turn the place into a Vegas. The mining is not going to last good forever.


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They could let the pits fill up with water and have a water-sports hub. Yachting, water-skiing, etc. would be great. Let's finish digging the gold out first, though.

 

[Off The Couch]

At the risk of coming across as racist Asians and Southern Europeans with high level wealth love using it to spoil their children rotten.



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Agreed - my husbands family are italian and the money spent on weddings, confirmations, 1st and 21st birthdays is ridiculous

 

[Borry]

And with regards to that story, I know I should avoid the Perth Now comments section like the plague, but I came across this comment which was a good point


[QUOTE = "Trisha"] This story was on page 3 of the newspaper. On page 33 was a story about a young family that for the past 3 years has asked family and friends not to bring presents for their son on his birthday but to provide clothes and toys that go towards care bags for children in the care of the Department of Child Protection. They want to instil in him that not everyone is as lucky as him and didn't want him to get an abundance of toys that he wouldn't appreciate. I know which story I think is more worthy of a page 3 article.[/QUOTE]


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[Scotland]

People don't want to live in mining towns and it's cheaper and easier for businesses to have a FIFO workforce.

 

[Scotland]

FIFO is killing all the mining towns. Kalgoorlie will take a bit longer to die than a lot of others, though, because of its size.

I'm hoping to go back next month, for the first time in 20 years. Am really looking forward to it. All the places I worked will be just huge holes in the ground, I expect. Guess I could prepare myself by looking at the satellite pics on Google Earth.

I last visited Kalgoorlie in about 2008. Pubs were still going.

 

[Off The Couch]

What I don't understand is how any of these stories (FIFO excluded) are even classified as being newsworthy

Do they go through FB looking for stories

 

[Teriyakicat]

I last visited Kalgoorlie in about 2008. Pubs were still going.

lol- yeah, the important stuff, hey??

I thought there were a few that had shut down since I left, so I searched and found a list of a few that I remember, which are now closed:
Boulder Block
Foundry
Mt Lyall
Cornwall Hotel

Others that closed quite some time ago Commercial, Glen Devon, Oriental, Fimiston. (Before my time, though.)

The Golden Eagle hotel in Boulder burnt down a few years ago (2012) but I don't remember that place- we only lived in Boulder for a few months.

I guess it makes it easier for people to do a pub crawl these days, though, doesn't it?

 

[The Speaker]

Did anyone else's ABC signal just go wonky?

 

[Off The Couch]

I lived in Boulder for a while, had my first child in Kalgoorlie - not that she tells anyone that - worst 12 months of my life

 

[DREAM TEAM BUFF]

FIFO is killing all the mining towns. Kalgoorlie will take a bit longer to die than a lot of others, though, because of its size.

.

Heaps of dead towns in the Goldfields now